Ten Shades of Grey
by Glass.Paradox
Summary: It's not just the heroes with stories to tell. A glimpse into the lives of those we never truly knew. Love,  war, politics, family, and fluff. Moderately AU, R&R. NT/RL


This chapter is dedicated to our Beta Hannah, who's stuck at home with mycoplasma. Get better soon! We miss you.

**Disclaimer: **This is purely a nonprofit work of fan fiction. All credit for the Harry Potter series is owed to JK Rowling, along with thanks for building the sandbox we play in.

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1.

When Sirius first returned to Grimmauld Place, forcing open the jammed door and coughing on the dust, he was surprised to find he doesn't feel horrified, trapped, or even bitter. He did't curse Dumbledore for demanding it, he ignored his awakened mother haranguing him from her portrait. He just felt numb. Wondering whether Kreacher had left or just curled up in a ball and _died_, Sirius warily paced through the – _his_ – house.

Though he stopped at what was once his room, he simply stared in silence at the unused doorknob and walked away. But when he saw his brother's door (strangely far cleaner than anything else in the house), his hand reached out and twisted the handle.

There was no dust in Regulus's room, but it was as dim as the rest of the house. Sirius dragged open the moth bitten curtains, only to be bathed in the eerie hue of moonlight. Not really sure why he came in the first place, he turned to leave, but something on the dresser caught his eye. The frame was plain, austere silver, ringing a photograph of two laughing, dark-haired boys tumbling in the grass. Sirius simply watched as his brother shoves him on the lawn and helps him up, only to be tackled to the ground. Two grinning faces looked up at him, all the untroubled happiness of childhood lighting their faces.

Whether he liked it or not, Sirius Black was home.

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2.

Albus always tried to do the right thing. What was best – for the greater good. But sometimes, he hears things in his dreams.

Tears, pleas, bitter screams… Voices of the necessary sacrifices.

He wakes up, eyes wild, heart pounding. Then he shakes his head and goes back to sleep.

_That's_ how Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore sleeps at night.

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3.

A very-well-publicized fact:

Blaise Zabini was the first in his year to get laid. By Penelope Clearwater, no less.

A well known fact:

The second girl on Blaise's (rather extensive) list was Lisa Turpin, who was even happier to recount the details than he was.

A lesser known fact:

Several girls down the list was one Hermione Granger, who'd just had a particularly nasty fight with her boyfriend when he found her crying in a deserted hallway. Of course, she hated him the next morning - and made it very clear. Then she overheard him refuse to tell Theodore Nott where he'd been the night before, and she realized none of the girls had come looking for kiss-and-tell tales. Suddenly, she hated him a little less.

But just a little.

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4.

Ten years after the war, Harry lives on a rocky shore. Every day, he flies across the grey skies and dives into the turf. Every day, he kisses her goodbye and floos to work. Every day, his eyes are drawn whiskey, but rarely now does he drink himself into a stupor.

He's found what he tentatively calls _peace_. All his memories are behind him, almost another life.

Till one day he opens the door and sees Dudley at his doorstep. His cousin brought with him a yawning child with a yellow bow threaded into her curly brown hair, and five words:

"I'm sorry."

"Please… help us."

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5.

According to her obituary, Rita Skeeter dies slowly, quietly in her sleep at the age of a hundred and eight.

Somehow, it doesn't seem fitting.

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6.

Nymphandora Tonks had been so sure she wasn't going to get married. No, Tonks was a rebel, a girl going places, not someone who could be tied down. Her father, her dear, loving, good-hearted Dad, had been horrified when she announced it at dinner one night. Her mother had simply raised one laconic eyebrow, and then returned to her food.

Throughout Hogwarts, there had been boys – and even more so in the Auror academy. And Tonks had taken pride in the fact that none of them could keep up with her; she wore them out, then traded them in for a new one. When Dennis had proposed, she was sorry she had to hurt him, but she hadn't had any problems turning him down.

No, Tonks was far too independent to be somebody's _wife_.

Then she met Remus. Damn him.

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7.

When they were six years old, Justin Flitch-Fletchy lived down the street from Hannah Abbot. They played together in his sandbox every day, or on her swing. The day before he moved, he tried to kiss her, and she shoved him away screaming "Cooties!" Then, she laughed and gave him a peck on the cheek.

On the train to Hogwarts, both of them sat in the same compartment. Neither of them recognized the other.

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8.

At first, it _bothered _Fleur that older boys she hardly knew would stop on the street to talk to her, or just stare slack jawed. That was before she found they would buy her things.

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9.

When Mary Adams joined _The Herald Sun_, just graduated, fresh faced, and idealistic, she honestly cared about reporting the truth. She _believed _in the fourth estate, informing the people, watching the leaders, generally upholding democracy and freedom. Unfortunately, great scoops were hard to find, and no one really cared about Flying Carpet legislation in the House of Commons. The lesson hit home when the _Sun_ declared bankruptcy.

A month later, Mary discovered that gossip and scandal were significantly more profitable than responsible journalism. Skewed facts and hyperbolic, fear driven media frenzy even more so.

A week after that, she walked into the Editor's office at the _Prophet_ with a new name and a (mostly) true exposé detailing the saucy exploits of Lady Ivanna Peverall. The next day, she spent her signing fee on rhinestone glasses, quick-quotes-quills, and a blond dye job with a stiff perm.

Rita Skeeter never looked back.

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10.

Sibyl Trelawney never thought she'd be so lucky.

After dear Gilderoy had that _awful _accident at school, she made it a point to visit him in St. Mungo's at least once a week. At first, the healers were taken aback when she claimed to be his girlfriend, but she had a note from Dumbledore vouching for her. The old bastard owed her, for all the times she'd debased her art to botch Potter's lessons on his orders. In any case, Lockhart always broke out into a wide grin when he saw her.

The two had spent years repairing their relationship, and building it back from the ruins the memory charm had left it in. Only months before Hogwarts fell, they tied the knot in a sweet little in-ward ceremony which all the healers watched and applauded goodheartedly. For obvious reasons, there couldn't be a honeymoon, but one of the novices baked them a chocolate cake.

Gilderoy Lockhart had never once looked at Sibyl at Hogwarts, but what he didn't remember wouldn't hurt him…

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A/N:

Hope you enjoyed reading. I don't know how or why Rita Skeeter ended up in here so much, but there's no way that's a real name.

This will probably be continued, but only sporadically. The drabbles, especially later on, won't be quite canon compliant – they go with our moderately AU Blackbird Suite.

Reviews are always appreciated - Echo


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